This post was started on Thursday evening in an attempt to write and post from my iPod Touch, which turned out to not be a good idea. It is now Friday evening. Circumstances also warrant me writing a different kind of update than my previous ones.
In my last update I mentioned that at my ultrasound last week my cervix was shorter. The next day I saw my OB and we discussed what was involved in a cerclage and what we can expect to happen from here on out. I left that appointment feeling better.
The rest of the week went just fine, had a nice weekend with my family in Atlanta (see last post), and Monday and Tuesday this week were uneventful. No cramps, no contractions, nothing. Wednesday I went back to ultrasound for another look at the cervix. The news wasn't good.
I left there and headed straight to the hospital where I sit now.
My cervix had actually dilated 2 cm and the sac had descended down. I was checked out last night and admitted. I spent the rest of the night and most of today laying tilted back toward my head. I went in for surgery on Thursday around 1:30pm Eastern time to have the cerclage put in. Sleeping on my head worked! The sac had retreated some and the doctor was able to put in two stitches. She was very pleased. The worst part was getting the spinal and even that was not all that bad (even if they did have to try numbing me in about 4 different places to find a spot that would work).
I finally got to eat tonight and I'm feeling much better now (it had been over 24 hours since I had eaten). We checked the babies' heartbeats once I was back in my room and they going strong both at around 149/150.
This was the end of what I wrote Thursday. It is now Friday.
It is now Friday and I'm still here. I'm receiving antibiotics through an IV at various points during the day. This is just to be sure that no infections develop, which is the biggest risk to us (me and the babies) at this point. I'm told I'll probably go home on Sunday morning.
Future plans as of now: I'll be seeing someone once a week and I'll be on bedrest, probably from here on out. Once we get to 24 weeks, I'll start getting a shot once a week of steroids to help the babies lungs develop. They want to get me to 28 weeks at least, with the hope that we can go further. My doctor is pretty sure I won't go all the way to 37 weeks, but we do hope to go past 28 weeks. If the cerclage holds and nothing else comes up, we should be able to. I'm hopeful!
Throughout all of this I know many, many people have been praying for us. The word spread fast on Facebook and I've appreciated all the notes, comments, prayers, emails, and wall posts I've received. I may not be able to thank everyone individually, but I do appreciate all of it!! Thank you all!!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Pulling off a Surprise!
This past weekend my family all got together to celebrate a wonderful occasion. My mom just recently passed her 5-year mark of being cancer free!! Definitely something worth celebrating! Without her knowledge we planned a dinner out together with all of us. It was so fun!!
My sister, The Planner, started the ball rolling about a month ago. We picked a weekend that was free for everyone, got my dad on board, and made a reservation. She also contacted the rest of the extended family and told them what we were doing.
Just so you understand, most of the extended family lives in the northeast part of the country (my parent's siblings and the majority of our cousins). My parents and my siblings all live in and around the Atlanta area. My husband and I live in Kentucky, about a six hour drive away. I also have an aunt that is in NC, also a 6 hour drive to my parent's house, and she was able to join us as well.
My aunt in NC came to visit for the weekend. She is hoping to move there soon so her and my mom went looking at houses Thursday and Friday. Since she was coming to visit, my mom suggested to my dad that they go out to dinner one night together. My dad thought it was a great idea and told her he would make a reservation. Haha!! A reservation was already made!! So later he told her that he made a reservation at a place in downtown Atlanta.
Saturday my husband and I left for Atlanta arriving at my sister's house about mid-afternoon. My brother and youngest sister arrived at the restaurant with their significant others first. My father was trying to stall my mother in some shops near the restaurant but eventually made their way over before the other four of us arrived. My sister and I and our husbands arrived and saw my dad first. He told us that she was with the others and so we went to mee them.
The restaurant was around the corner from where we had parked and we had to also go down a flight of stairs to the front entrance. My sister headed down first followed by my husband, then myself, and my brother-in-law following behind. I think at this point my mother was still surprised that two of her children happened to show up at the same restaurant she was at and hadn't fully comprehended what was going on. Then she saw my sister, but the appearance of my husband next followed by me totally shocked her!!
My mother's two sisters had sent a bouquet of flowers and some balloons which were waiting on our table for her. We had a lovely dinner and then went back to my sister's house for dessert. It was so nice to spend an evening with all of my family; we hadn't all been together since Thanksgiving and I don't know when we'll be able to all be together again.
At the end of the evening my husband and I went to my parent's house for the night and a card had arrived that day from one of my dad's brothers. More cards of congratulations would all be arriving this week. I know she was very touched by all the attention on this special occasion. It was definitely one worth celebrating!!
Here is a picture of all of us at the restaurant: my aunt, my parents, my three siblings and their significant others, and my husband and I.
Congrats, Mom!! So glad we could all be there to celebrate with you!!
My sister, The Planner, started the ball rolling about a month ago. We picked a weekend that was free for everyone, got my dad on board, and made a reservation. She also contacted the rest of the extended family and told them what we were doing.
Just so you understand, most of the extended family lives in the northeast part of the country (my parent's siblings and the majority of our cousins). My parents and my siblings all live in and around the Atlanta area. My husband and I live in Kentucky, about a six hour drive away. I also have an aunt that is in NC, also a 6 hour drive to my parent's house, and she was able to join us as well.
My aunt in NC came to visit for the weekend. She is hoping to move there soon so her and my mom went looking at houses Thursday and Friday. Since she was coming to visit, my mom suggested to my dad that they go out to dinner one night together. My dad thought it was a great idea and told her he would make a reservation. Haha!! A reservation was already made!! So later he told her that he made a reservation at a place in downtown Atlanta.
Saturday my husband and I left for Atlanta arriving at my sister's house about mid-afternoon. My brother and youngest sister arrived at the restaurant with their significant others first. My father was trying to stall my mother in some shops near the restaurant but eventually made their way over before the other four of us arrived. My sister and I and our husbands arrived and saw my dad first. He told us that she was with the others and so we went to mee them.
The restaurant was around the corner from where we had parked and we had to also go down a flight of stairs to the front entrance. My sister headed down first followed by my husband, then myself, and my brother-in-law following behind. I think at this point my mother was still surprised that two of her children happened to show up at the same restaurant she was at and hadn't fully comprehended what was going on. Then she saw my sister, but the appearance of my husband next followed by me totally shocked her!!
My mother's two sisters had sent a bouquet of flowers and some balloons which were waiting on our table for her. We had a lovely dinner and then went back to my sister's house for dessert. It was so nice to spend an evening with all of my family; we hadn't all been together since Thanksgiving and I don't know when we'll be able to all be together again.
At the end of the evening my husband and I went to my parent's house for the night and a card had arrived that day from one of my dad's brothers. More cards of congratulations would all be arriving this week. I know she was very touched by all the attention on this special occasion. It was definitely one worth celebrating!!
Here is a picture of all of us at the restaurant: my aunt, my parents, my three siblings and their significant others, and my husband and I.
Congrats, Mom!! So glad we could all be there to celebrate with you!!
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Pregnancy Update: Week 20
How far along: 20 weeks, half way!!
Aversions: Had an issue with some broccoli earlier in the week, but I don't think I'm swearing off of it. It might have been a little over cooked that one time. Otherwise, still no aversions.
Cravings: Still none, chocolate doesn't count.
Bellybutton: A bit flatter. I can't even see it anymore without looking in a mirror.
Ultrasound 1: Had an ultrasound today and the babies look good. No measurements were taken today, so I don't have approximate weights for this week. But the babies were moving around a lot and were laying side by side with their heads together. We saw a lot of cute shots. Including a knee on the other's head at one point. Like I said, there was a lot of movement today!
Ultrasound 2: I also had my cervical length checked. The news here wasn't bad, but not as good as the previous two times. My cervix is shorter and is close to 2 cm. Normal should be between 2-4 cm. Previously I have been around 3 cm. So this is a bit of a concern, especially given my history. So I am going back next week for another cervical length check. Based on our conversation today with the doctor, it's too early to talk about a cervical cerclage (in basic terms, they "tie-up" the cervix surgically), but he said if it gets down to 18-15 mm then we would probably have to do it. This makes me nervous, but hopefully things will work out since I'm being watched so carefully.
Appointment: Have one tomorrow and I'm sure we'll discuss the results of today's ultrasound.
Movement: I'm starting to feel a lot more movement and recognize it. I realized today that I probably felt Zachary moving a lot more than I realized. I'm feeling the little bubble sensation and possibly even more. I like feeling them, it's a bit of reassurance that they are still doing well.
Leg Cramps: Had another one this past Saturday morning. This is on my list to discuss with the doctor tomorrow. Even when I don't have leg cramps I have a hard time sleeping if I feel any tenseness in my legs.
Sleeping: Some nights are better than others. The leg cramps don't help nor the potential threat of them. I still get up frequently during the night, but I'm getting used to that.
Notable this week: I think the recognition of movement has been the biggest positive thing for me. The scariest thing is the shortening of my cervix; hopefully there will be no change next week.
Thanks so much, once again, for all the prayers. I can't tell you how much it means to me that so many people are praying for us. Thanks!!
Aversions: Had an issue with some broccoli earlier in the week, but I don't think I'm swearing off of it. It might have been a little over cooked that one time. Otherwise, still no aversions.
Cravings: Still none, chocolate doesn't count.
Bellybutton: A bit flatter. I can't even see it anymore without looking in a mirror.
Ultrasound 1: Had an ultrasound today and the babies look good. No measurements were taken today, so I don't have approximate weights for this week. But the babies were moving around a lot and were laying side by side with their heads together. We saw a lot of cute shots. Including a knee on the other's head at one point. Like I said, there was a lot of movement today!
Ultrasound 2: I also had my cervical length checked. The news here wasn't bad, but not as good as the previous two times. My cervix is shorter and is close to 2 cm. Normal should be between 2-4 cm. Previously I have been around 3 cm. So this is a bit of a concern, especially given my history. So I am going back next week for another cervical length check. Based on our conversation today with the doctor, it's too early to talk about a cervical cerclage (in basic terms, they "tie-up" the cervix surgically), but he said if it gets down to 18-15 mm then we would probably have to do it. This makes me nervous, but hopefully things will work out since I'm being watched so carefully.
Appointment: Have one tomorrow and I'm sure we'll discuss the results of today's ultrasound.
Movement: I'm starting to feel a lot more movement and recognize it. I realized today that I probably felt Zachary moving a lot more than I realized. I'm feeling the little bubble sensation and possibly even more. I like feeling them, it's a bit of reassurance that they are still doing well.
Leg Cramps: Had another one this past Saturday morning. This is on my list to discuss with the doctor tomorrow. Even when I don't have leg cramps I have a hard time sleeping if I feel any tenseness in my legs.
Sleeping: Some nights are better than others. The leg cramps don't help nor the potential threat of them. I still get up frequently during the night, but I'm getting used to that.
Notable this week: I think the recognition of movement has been the biggest positive thing for me. The scariest thing is the shortening of my cervix; hopefully there will be no change next week.
Thanks so much, once again, for all the prayers. I can't tell you how much it means to me that so many people are praying for us. Thanks!!
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Feeling Closer to Mary
I have had several random thoughts in my head over the last week of thing that I might blog about. But time just keeps getting away from me this week. As it is, it's getting late in the evening and I should be winding down and going to bed, but instead I finally decided to write another post. So here I am, hopefully for not too long.
Tonight I attended a meeting at my church which is really just a group discussion. We've been reading a letter (really, too long to be called a "letter") from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on the topic of Stewardship. In the last section that we had to read for tonight there were no reflection questions, so instead our priest leading the group asked us to pick out a sentence that struck us and tell us why.
I panicked slightly since I had not read the entire thing before tonight and had only skimmed this last section right before we started. But near the end there was some mention of the Blessed Mother and one small section had stood out for me.
Of course, before I could mention it someone else mentioned the exact sentence I was thinking of. As I listened to him and reflected on this more my eyes moved down to the next paragraph and my attention was caught again, and much more profoundly. Here is what I read:
The first thing that struck me was how much Mary understands the loss of a child. She had to go through a most agonizing loss, one I could never imagine. No matter what I have been through, she understands and she is there for me to lean on.
Over the last several years I have leaned on Mary more and more. Despite growing up Catholic, I never understood how a devotion to Mary could be so special. But she has played a greater and greater part in my faith life in recent years. Part of that is because of the losses I have suffered. She knows my pain and grief and has experienced it herself on an even more agonizing level.
More recently I have turned to Mary to ask for her intercession for the health of the two babies I am currently carrying. I find myself praying to her almost daily: asking for her prayers for my babies, for other friends who are suffering loss, dealing with infertility, trying to get pregnant, and for healthy pregnancies for those who are expecting.
As I contemplated the passage from the Bishop's letter regarding Mary and her stewardship I realized that this sentence is also about motherhood. Motherhood itself is something I have really given very little thought to.
What I mean is, yes, I have thought about how my life will change being a mom; how I will be responsible for more than just me on a daily basis; and how having little people around all the time will change our family dynamic. But what I really hadn't thought about was motherhood in terms of stewardship, that is service and devotion to the family.
There was a lot in Mary's fiat to the angel Gabriel. It wasn't just that she would carry and give birth to the Son of God, it was also that she would raise Him to be a man, watch after Him, teach Him, and one day have to let go of Him. He wasn't hers. He was God's ... He was God! She had a duty and a responsibility that she had to put her whole heart and soul into without expecting anything in return.
I guess this is what motherhood is. We receive our children as gifts from God. They aren't really ours, they are His children. But He gives them to us and we become responsible for teaching them about Him and to follow His will. We will pour our hearts and souls into raising our children, but one day we will have to let them go. They will become adults and move into the world and we just have to hope and pray that we did our jobs, the jobs God gave us to do. Hopefully few of us will have to watch our children go as Mary did. But I can imagine that the letting go when they go to college or move out on their own or whatever can be just as hard for a mom.
For me, mine are still "baking" and some of these thoughts are years down the road. But just thinking of the awesome responsibility of motherhood is a bit overwhelming. Not that this is like consuming my mind or anything, I'm just having a deep night. (Maybe its because I actually slept some last night without getting up 6-7 times! Plus the thing about not having a TV currently.)
So is this a new thought or do you experienced moms already know this? "This" being the idea that motherhood is a service and act of stewardship given to us by God to raise His children.
I will say that on some level, yes, I did know this. But I guess I hadn't truly internalized it until tonight as I contemplated the idea of Mary as a steward in her maternal service to Jesus.
Tonight I attended a meeting at my church which is really just a group discussion. We've been reading a letter (really, too long to be called a "letter") from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on the topic of Stewardship. In the last section that we had to read for tonight there were no reflection questions, so instead our priest leading the group asked us to pick out a sentence that struck us and tell us why.
I panicked slightly since I had not read the entire thing before tonight and had only skimmed this last section right before we started. But near the end there was some mention of the Blessed Mother and one small section had stood out for me.
Of course, before I could mention it someone else mentioned the exact sentence I was thinking of. As I listened to him and reflected on this more my eyes moved down to the next paragraph and my attention was caught again, and much more profoundly. Here is what I read:
As Mother of God, her stewardship consisted of her maternal service and devotion to Jesus, from infancy to adulthood, up to the agonizing hours of Jesus death.I read this passage several times and when I finally got a chance to speak I mentioned that this was one part that touched me. But I found it hard to vocalize why. I have been contemplating it more ever since I got home tonight. (Maybe not having a TV for a few days is good for me!)
The first thing that struck me was how much Mary understands the loss of a child. She had to go through a most agonizing loss, one I could never imagine. No matter what I have been through, she understands and she is there for me to lean on.
Over the last several years I have leaned on Mary more and more. Despite growing up Catholic, I never understood how a devotion to Mary could be so special. But she has played a greater and greater part in my faith life in recent years. Part of that is because of the losses I have suffered. She knows my pain and grief and has experienced it herself on an even more agonizing level.
More recently I have turned to Mary to ask for her intercession for the health of the two babies I am currently carrying. I find myself praying to her almost daily: asking for her prayers for my babies, for other friends who are suffering loss, dealing with infertility, trying to get pregnant, and for healthy pregnancies for those who are expecting.
As I contemplated the passage from the Bishop's letter regarding Mary and her stewardship I realized that this sentence is also about motherhood. Motherhood itself is something I have really given very little thought to.
What I mean is, yes, I have thought about how my life will change being a mom; how I will be responsible for more than just me on a daily basis; and how having little people around all the time will change our family dynamic. But what I really hadn't thought about was motherhood in terms of stewardship, that is service and devotion to the family.
There was a lot in Mary's fiat to the angel Gabriel. It wasn't just that she would carry and give birth to the Son of God, it was also that she would raise Him to be a man, watch after Him, teach Him, and one day have to let go of Him. He wasn't hers. He was God's ... He was God! She had a duty and a responsibility that she had to put her whole heart and soul into without expecting anything in return.
I guess this is what motherhood is. We receive our children as gifts from God. They aren't really ours, they are His children. But He gives them to us and we become responsible for teaching them about Him and to follow His will. We will pour our hearts and souls into raising our children, but one day we will have to let them go. They will become adults and move into the world and we just have to hope and pray that we did our jobs, the jobs God gave us to do. Hopefully few of us will have to watch our children go as Mary did. But I can imagine that the letting go when they go to college or move out on their own or whatever can be just as hard for a mom.
For me, mine are still "baking" and some of these thoughts are years down the road. But just thinking of the awesome responsibility of motherhood is a bit overwhelming. Not that this is like consuming my mind or anything, I'm just having a deep night. (Maybe its because I actually slept some last night without getting up 6-7 times! Plus the thing about not having a TV currently.)
So is this a new thought or do you experienced moms already know this? "This" being the idea that motherhood is a service and act of stewardship given to us by God to raise His children.
I will say that on some level, yes, I did know this. But I guess I hadn't truly internalized it until tonight as I contemplated the idea of Mary as a steward in her maternal service to Jesus.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Pregnancy Update: Week 19
I spent some time on Tuesday night making a list of things that I would want to regularly update everyone on regarding this pregnancy. Unfortunately, I hadn't saved the document at all, went to help my husband finish the dishes, and then while I was drying the last few things I asked him to log me out of my email and other programs I had up on my computer and shut it down. Oops! He saw the document but closed it without saving it.
So I'm winging this tonight because I wanted to get it up ... tonight. I apologize if it seems a little jumbled, I'll do better next week.
How far along: 19 weeks!! Still can't believe it!!
Food Aversions: None that I can think of. I'm still eating most anything that we have around here. We've even made black beans and rice during this pregnancy and I wasn't repulsed by it at all.
Cravings: Again none. Most of them were during the first trimester. I kind of miss the chocolate milk craving I had during my very first pregnancy.
Maternity clothes: Oh yeah, been wearing them now for a few weeks. I'm not even looking at my other clothes anymore. I did buy a "BeBand" at Target two weeks ago and it has helped with holding my maternity pants in place. I'm so grateful to have it!! I may go buy another one!
Bellybutton: It might disappear. It's definitely stretching out. Yesterday by the time I got home from work it was also itchy and even hurt a little bit. It can disappear, I just hope it doesn't "pop out."
Ultrasound/appointment: None this week. I'll be back at Ultrasound on Wednesday next week and to my regular appointment on Thursday.
My movement: I can still pretty much do anything as I normally have been. I'm seeing, though, that putting my socks on, picking something up off the floor, or anything else that requires bending too much at the waist is going to get harder, probably sooner than I had expected. Getting up and down from the couch, my office chair, etc. is still very doable. Again, though, I can see how it's going to get harder.
Baby Movement: Possibly. It's nothing big, but there are times when I think I feel some internal squirming around. It mostly seems to be around 2 in the morning. They're just prepping me for what's to come, I'm sure.
Leg Cramps: One this week, at 7am on Sunday morning. What an alarm clock to have!! My calf muscle hurt up through Tuesday, the worst of it being on Monday. This is only my second one this pregnancy. I forgot to talk to my doctor about it last week (possibly vitamin or mineral deficiency?) but I hope to talk about it next week. In the meantime, I've been making sure I'm not dehydrated and drinking P L E N T Y of water.
Sleeping: Falling asleep hasn't been too hard. I had been using that time to pray for various intentions of mine and others I know. Lately I'm finding that I start thinking of the intentions I want to pray for and never get to the praying part. Although getting to sleep isn't much of a problem at the moment, I have no hope of staying asleep. I think I'm up every two hours to use the bathroom. I better be getting enough water!!
Notable this week: My husband tells me I have officially "popped." Suddenly on Monday, I felt big ... like really BIG. I know I've been getting bigger, it's been a gradual thing, but Monday it just suddenly felt different. Even just Sunday I felt fine, didn't feel huge at all. But then came Monday and wow! Just wow!
That's it for the 19 week update. Almost halfway!
So I'm winging this tonight because I wanted to get it up ... tonight. I apologize if it seems a little jumbled, I'll do better next week.
How far along: 19 weeks!! Still can't believe it!!
Food Aversions: None that I can think of. I'm still eating most anything that we have around here. We've even made black beans and rice during this pregnancy and I wasn't repulsed by it at all.
Cravings: Again none. Most of them were during the first trimester. I kind of miss the chocolate milk craving I had during my very first pregnancy.
Maternity clothes: Oh yeah, been wearing them now for a few weeks. I'm not even looking at my other clothes anymore. I did buy a "BeBand" at Target two weeks ago and it has helped with holding my maternity pants in place. I'm so grateful to have it!! I may go buy another one!
Bellybutton: It might disappear. It's definitely stretching out. Yesterday by the time I got home from work it was also itchy and even hurt a little bit. It can disappear, I just hope it doesn't "pop out."
Ultrasound/appointment: None this week. I'll be back at Ultrasound on Wednesday next week and to my regular appointment on Thursday.
My movement: I can still pretty much do anything as I normally have been. I'm seeing, though, that putting my socks on, picking something up off the floor, or anything else that requires bending too much at the waist is going to get harder, probably sooner than I had expected. Getting up and down from the couch, my office chair, etc. is still very doable. Again, though, I can see how it's going to get harder.
Baby Movement: Possibly. It's nothing big, but there are times when I think I feel some internal squirming around. It mostly seems to be around 2 in the morning. They're just prepping me for what's to come, I'm sure.
Leg Cramps: One this week, at 7am on Sunday morning. What an alarm clock to have!! My calf muscle hurt up through Tuesday, the worst of it being on Monday. This is only my second one this pregnancy. I forgot to talk to my doctor about it last week (possibly vitamin or mineral deficiency?) but I hope to talk about it next week. In the meantime, I've been making sure I'm not dehydrated and drinking P L E N T Y of water.
Sleeping: Falling asleep hasn't been too hard. I had been using that time to pray for various intentions of mine and others I know. Lately I'm finding that I start thinking of the intentions I want to pray for and never get to the praying part. Although getting to sleep isn't much of a problem at the moment, I have no hope of staying asleep. I think I'm up every two hours to use the bathroom. I better be getting enough water!!
Notable this week: My husband tells me I have officially "popped." Suddenly on Monday, I felt big ... like really BIG. I know I've been getting bigger, it's been a gradual thing, but Monday it just suddenly felt different. Even just Sunday I felt fine, didn't feel huge at all. But then came Monday and wow! Just wow!
That's it for the 19 week update. Almost halfway!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
A first today ...
So it finally happened to me. For the very first time. And it took my totally by surprise!!
I got the belly pat today. I was pregnant with Zachary for 22 weeks and never got it then. But here I am at 18 weeks (and some odd days) and it happened.
The thing is, it wasn't actually the baby part of the belly that was patted. Which just felt totally weird all around.
So okay, I know, I'm pregnant with twins. No reminder needed, I get plenty of reminders. Everyone likes to tell me that I'm having twins. Yes, thank you, I know! And yes, I am measuring much further along than 18 weeks for a singleton.
Despite all this, the area above the babies is bigger than where the babies themselves actually are. Things have to shift somewhere in order to make room for the babies. And that was what someone decided to pat today without invitation.
Honestly, I don't mind. I know everyone is ecstatic for us and praying for us and wants the best for us. And I totally appreciate all of that. What I mind is it being uninvited. I don't think I have ever done that to a pregnant woman, no matter how far along she is. But I'm not naive, I know people do it, I guess I just still wasn't expecting it. Especially right now, when really, the babies are so small that my shifted organs are looking larger than they are.
Oh well, what can you do. I didn't really have a chance to do much. The person who did this today did so as she walked by me while I was talking to someone else, and about to move out of the church pew I was standing in. Come to think of it, I was probably using my hands as I spoke, I'm surprised I didn't accidentally hit her. Not because of the "belly pat" but just the direction I was moving, where she was standing, and where my hands were at the time. Would have been totally accidental, I promise. Luckily, it didn't happen.
In other news, my husband and I attended our newest nephew's baptism and we were also the Godparents. We now have three Godchildren between us (two we have in common and I have a Godson who lives in South Carolina). In a way this was a first too. This is the first actual relative we are Godparents to. It was nice to see everyone and see our nephew for the first time. He did a good job through most of the baptism: he didn't seem to like the water being pored over his head and he was getting hungry by the end, but otherwise he did well. He was pretty alert at the beginning. I'll post one or two pictures once I get them downloaded from the camera.
Welcome to the Catholic family, Joseph Michael.
I got the belly pat today. I was pregnant with Zachary for 22 weeks and never got it then. But here I am at 18 weeks (and some odd days) and it happened.
The thing is, it wasn't actually the baby part of the belly that was patted. Which just felt totally weird all around.
So okay, I know, I'm pregnant with twins. No reminder needed, I get plenty of reminders. Everyone likes to tell me that I'm having twins. Yes, thank you, I know! And yes, I am measuring much further along than 18 weeks for a singleton.
Despite all this, the area above the babies is bigger than where the babies themselves actually are. Things have to shift somewhere in order to make room for the babies. And that was what someone decided to pat today without invitation.
Honestly, I don't mind. I know everyone is ecstatic for us and praying for us and wants the best for us. And I totally appreciate all of that. What I mind is it being uninvited. I don't think I have ever done that to a pregnant woman, no matter how far along she is. But I'm not naive, I know people do it, I guess I just still wasn't expecting it. Especially right now, when really, the babies are so small that my shifted organs are looking larger than they are.
Oh well, what can you do. I didn't really have a chance to do much. The person who did this today did so as she walked by me while I was talking to someone else, and about to move out of the church pew I was standing in. Come to think of it, I was probably using my hands as I spoke, I'm surprised I didn't accidentally hit her. Not because of the "belly pat" but just the direction I was moving, where she was standing, and where my hands were at the time. Would have been totally accidental, I promise. Luckily, it didn't happen.
In other news, my husband and I attended our newest nephew's baptism and we were also the Godparents. We now have three Godchildren between us (two we have in common and I have a Godson who lives in South Carolina). In a way this was a first too. This is the first actual relative we are Godparents to. It was nice to see everyone and see our nephew for the first time. He did a good job through most of the baptism: he didn't seem to like the water being pored over his head and he was getting hungry by the end, but otherwise he did well. He was pretty alert at the beginning. I'll post one or two pictures once I get them downloaded from the camera.
Welcome to the Catholic family, Joseph Michael.
Friday, January 21, 2011
7 Quick Takes Friday, vol. 14
~1~
Snow hit Kentucky again on Thursday. I live about 5 miles from my workplace and it usually takes me about 20-30 minutes to get home. Thursday evening? About 70 minutes. I don't think I ever got above 20 mph, and that was when things were going well. But it really wasn't bad until I tried to pull up our driveway. That's when I felt the car skid and thought I was going to hit the edge of the garage. Managed to avoid that and then I thought I was going to hit my husband's car that was already in the garage. Luckily, I avoided that too and was so thankful to be in the garage and at a standstill. Next stop for this pregnant woman who had been in the car for so long? I'm sure that's not a hard guess!
~2~
I recently started investigating Catholic podcasts. I have subscribed to 5 of them although I'm not in a regular habit of listening to them yet. But I'm enjoying them so far. I got started because I had heard of the podcast of the daily readings that had been put together by the USCCB. After I figured out how to do the podcast thing, I went looking for more. The other four I have now are: Catholic Moments, Faith & Family Live Podcast, Word on Firre Sermon with Fr. Robert Barron, and an EWTN program called The Journey Home. I think I've listened to at least one episode of each. I'm really enjoying them and hopefully will get into a habit of listening.
One note: I don't really like the USCCB's daily readings podcast. They all get downloaded at the beginning of the month and I don't see a way to view the whole title, so it's really hard to see the date and know which one you are getting. Because of course they aren't in order of date, I guess that would make too much sense. I can read them myself in my Magnificat, so I will probably unsubscribe to that one.
Do you have a favorite Catholic Podcast you think I should check out?
~3~
 |
| Preggle Body Pillow |
I've started using my body pillow to help me sleep better at night. We joke around about our extra buddy in our bed. Last night, my husband got into bed while I was finishing up and I looked out and saw him under the covers on one side and my body pillow on the ohter with the larger, curved end propped up on my regular pillow. It was positioned so that the curved part was "looking up," so to speak. It looked like another person was in the bed. I couldn't stop laughing at how silly it all looked: the body pillow and my husband tucked into the bed together. Really, it was funny!
Maybe you had to be there.
~4~
One of the things I wanted to do this year to help strengthen my spiritual life was to get back into saying a daily rosary. I figured if I used to get up early to go to the gym why not do the same thing but say a rosary insead. So far it has only happened once. I think part of my problem is getting up every few hours during the night to use the bathroom. I am then so tired in the morning it's really hard to get up. I've been reminded recently about the idea of dieing to self. I need to keep this in mind, maybe it will help get me out of bed that 20 minutes earlier than normal. It shouldn't be that hard!!
What do you do to get in some private prayer time each day?
~5~
I started working on this post on Thursday evening. While I was working on it my husband was watching TV and a commercial came up a couple times that caught my attention. And not in a good way. It was a commercial for a birth control pill called Beyaz. I was just sickened by this commercial. It was so materialistic!! A group of women are "shopping" in some weird store where they can buy vacations or homes or who knows what else. At one point a stork is shown with a little bundle in its beak and he tries to give it to one of the women. She refuses and moves on to a vacation to Paris. Another women looks at a wall of houses and chooses one to buy. I couldn't believe the materialistic and selfish attitude this commercial was promoting. What a horrible message!! Basically: you can't have any of these fun and wonderful things if you have kids and you know you don't want kids, so take our drug. Selfish!! Makes me sick!
And is this drug, Beyaz, somehow related to the BC pill Yaz that had so many lawsuits filed against it?? I wouldn't be surprised.
~6~
Speaking of birth control, someone I know posted this article on Facebook this week. It goes through all the arguments many of us who already understand the dangers of hormonal birth control know and several more. And the best part was a large list of links to supporting documentation and plenty of footnotes to back up their arguments. How anyone can put this stuff into their bodies day after day without knowing all the facts is beyond me. Read the article and then share it with others. It's just so sad that people don't know what they could be doing to their bodies long term.
~7~
Our late snow storm yesterday afternoon and evening has caused the university to call a 2-hour delay for today. Yay!! It's just after 9am and I'm still home. Love it. Have to leave soon though so I can get there by 10am. It's just so nice to have a slow morning! And on a Friday too. Ah! The husband made French toast this morning using the bread he had made from scratch last week and stored in the freezer. I'm such a lucky girl!!
Have a wonderful weekend!! For more Quick Takes check out Jen's post on her blog Conversion Diary. Jen hosts Quick Takes every Friday; check out all the links to so many wonderful Quick Takes blog posts.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Pregnancy Update: 18 Weeks
Today we are at 18 weeks!! I still can't believe we are this far along and have not had a single issue. I'm feeling very blessed so far. Today was also another ultrasound and a regular appointment. So it's a perfect time to write an update!
Twin Ultrasound
Ultrasounds with twins are slightly different than an ultrasound for a singleton. They still look for all the same things anatomically, but they also take some additional detailed measurements. In the case of the kind of twins I have, which are called mono/di twins (one placenta, two sacs), they have to measure the babies' sizes based on head circumference and mid-section (belly) circumference, the size of the sacs, and they check the blood flow through the umbilical cord. As much as possible, all these measurements should be close to each other. A discrepancy of 20% indicates that Twin-to-Twin Transfer Syndrome (TTTS) is happening. TTTS can be fatal to both babies unless caught early and treated. Thus the reason I will be having ultrasounds every two weeks until at least week 36 or 37.
Today's Ultrasound
We had another great ultrasound today!! The babies are measuring on time and close to each other, the sacs are measuring the same, and blood flow through the cord looks good. Heartbeats were 150 for Twin A and 140 for Twin B. We identified all four chambers of the heart for both babies and identified two kidneys on both of them. Today they also finished up all the other anatomy stuff as well. Overall, the babies' weights were approximated to be about 8 ounces.
Because of my previous history with pre-term labor, each time I have an ultrasound I also have a transvaginal ultrasound done to check on the length of my cervix. I've now had it checked twice and both times it is long and well within normal range (2-4 cm). So that is also good news!!
OB Appointment
Following the ultrasound I walked down the hall to my next appointment. Since I had just had an ultrasound we didn't take another look, though my doctor did listen to their heartbeats. She also measured me and warned me that I would measure farther along than I actually am. I measured at 25 weeks!! And as for the ever-important weight gain, I'm about 18 pounds more than my pre-pregnancy weight. Not bad for 18 weeks with twins.
Next Steps
I have both an ultrasound and another OB appointment about two weeks from now. I can expect the glucose test around week 24 and then non-stress tests will be done starting sometime after that (I forget what she told me today). Otherwise, I am doing fine and just need to continue moving on.
I'm still nervous and won't feel completely good about everything until we get to 24 weeks. Hopefully we'll go well beyond that, but 24 weeks is at least viability. By the time we get to 36 or 37 weeks I may be either induced or have a C-section, depending on what is going on at about that time and the babies' positions.
Other Updates
I am feeling good, no more regular sickness. I have moments when I'm suddenly famished or feel sick, but they normally don't last long.
I am now fully into wearing maternity clothes. I went out the other day and bought a few more tops, but I mostly have plenty of stuff between what I have from my sister, the items I bought two years ago, and what I recently bought. I may have to buy a few summer or lighter tops as we get closer to spring. But since it's been so cold this winter and it usually is still cool around here through most of April, I won't really need much. Plus my office is a freezer, so wearing warmer clothes to work doesn't bother me.
I haven't had any recent food aversions, which pleases my husband! I'm also not eating as much as I had been during the first trimester. At that time I had to eat to keep from feeling sick. I'm past that. I am making sure to eat a properly balanced diet.
We've been watching my belly-button lately, too. It looks like it might disappear eventually. It's much more stretched out than usual and, according to my husband, very shallow. Haha! I just hope it doesn't pop out!
I'm so grateful that we have made it this far and that everything looks so good. It is truly a blessing. I'm also grateful for all those who are praying for us. Thank you for your prayers and for keeping us in your thoughts. I am overwhelmed and still amazed at how well things have gone. I'm afraid to get my hopes up too high, but at the moment I'm feeling positive about things. Thanks!!
Twin Ultrasound
Ultrasounds with twins are slightly different than an ultrasound for a singleton. They still look for all the same things anatomically, but they also take some additional detailed measurements. In the case of the kind of twins I have, which are called mono/di twins (one placenta, two sacs), they have to measure the babies' sizes based on head circumference and mid-section (belly) circumference, the size of the sacs, and they check the blood flow through the umbilical cord. As much as possible, all these measurements should be close to each other. A discrepancy of 20% indicates that Twin-to-Twin Transfer Syndrome (TTTS) is happening. TTTS can be fatal to both babies unless caught early and treated. Thus the reason I will be having ultrasounds every two weeks until at least week 36 or 37.
Today's Ultrasound
We had another great ultrasound today!! The babies are measuring on time and close to each other, the sacs are measuring the same, and blood flow through the cord looks good. Heartbeats were 150 for Twin A and 140 for Twin B. We identified all four chambers of the heart for both babies and identified two kidneys on both of them. Today they also finished up all the other anatomy stuff as well. Overall, the babies' weights were approximated to be about 8 ounces.
Because of my previous history with pre-term labor, each time I have an ultrasound I also have a transvaginal ultrasound done to check on the length of my cervix. I've now had it checked twice and both times it is long and well within normal range (2-4 cm). So that is also good news!!
OB Appointment
Following the ultrasound I walked down the hall to my next appointment. Since I had just had an ultrasound we didn't take another look, though my doctor did listen to their heartbeats. She also measured me and warned me that I would measure farther along than I actually am. I measured at 25 weeks!! And as for the ever-important weight gain, I'm about 18 pounds more than my pre-pregnancy weight. Not bad for 18 weeks with twins.
Next Steps
I have both an ultrasound and another OB appointment about two weeks from now. I can expect the glucose test around week 24 and then non-stress tests will be done starting sometime after that (I forget what she told me today). Otherwise, I am doing fine and just need to continue moving on.
I'm still nervous and won't feel completely good about everything until we get to 24 weeks. Hopefully we'll go well beyond that, but 24 weeks is at least viability. By the time we get to 36 or 37 weeks I may be either induced or have a C-section, depending on what is going on at about that time and the babies' positions.
Other Updates
I am feeling good, no more regular sickness. I have moments when I'm suddenly famished or feel sick, but they normally don't last long.
I am now fully into wearing maternity clothes. I went out the other day and bought a few more tops, but I mostly have plenty of stuff between what I have from my sister, the items I bought two years ago, and what I recently bought. I may have to buy a few summer or lighter tops as we get closer to spring. But since it's been so cold this winter and it usually is still cool around here through most of April, I won't really need much. Plus my office is a freezer, so wearing warmer clothes to work doesn't bother me.
I haven't had any recent food aversions, which pleases my husband! I'm also not eating as much as I had been during the first trimester. At that time I had to eat to keep from feeling sick. I'm past that. I am making sure to eat a properly balanced diet.
We've been watching my belly-button lately, too. It looks like it might disappear eventually. It's much more stretched out than usual and, according to my husband, very shallow. Haha! I just hope it doesn't pop out!
I'm so grateful that we have made it this far and that everything looks so good. It is truly a blessing. I'm also grateful for all those who are praying for us. Thank you for your prayers and for keeping us in your thoughts. I am overwhelmed and still amazed at how well things have gone. I'm afraid to get my hopes up too high, but at the moment I'm feeling positive about things. Thanks!!
Monday, January 17, 2011
The First Trimester
When I made the Big Announcement I also promised that I would share some select journal entries I made during the first third of this pregnancy. I was consistant at the beginning (though some of those entries aren't worth sharing here), then as we moved forward I started writing less and my last entry was in early December. I won't share everything, but wanted to share enough so you know how those first few months were while we were keeping silent about our big news.
Oct. 18, 2010
18 days since thermal shift and temps have been continuing to go up. Took test in AM and BFP [Big Fat Positive]!! As luck would have it, had an appointment already scheduled for today. Had a Beta HCG test done.
Oct. 20, 2010
2nd Beta test done. Saw nurse when I went in to register and she asked me to come back that afternoon for an ultrasound. They had no appointments just clinicals.
Went back at 4pm, saw sac, looks good. Also saw a possible second sac, but doesn't look like it is developing. Probably at 5 weeks.
Oct. 21, 2010
Driving to Normal, IL for a conference; nurse called with Beta test results which showed a 60% rise. Nauseousness starting to set in. Stopped at a Cracker Barrel in no-where Indiana and bought some peppermint sticks. Ah!! Much better!
Nov. 3, 2010
Ultrasound this afternoon! I think I'm about 7 weeks.
Estimate is 6 weeks 4-5 days, due date currently set for June 24. AND ... Twins!! Possibly mono/mono twins, which are exremely rare: 1 sac and 1 placenta. HBs are 125 and 130 bpm.
OMG!!
Nov. 4, 2010
Mentioned to Hubby last night that now we have to come up with 4 names -- he groaned. He doesn't like that process!
Nov. 9, 2010
Over the last week I've noticed:
1. I seem to have an aversion to chocolate -- eating some anyway
2. My lips are constantly dry! (And I'm drinking lots of water!)
3. The first 15 minutes of my day are the best -- it's downhill from there
4. I don't like the thought of any foods but I have to eat and eating makes me feel better. However, cheese and hard-boiled eggs are good!!
At 3:00pm today I went to the student center and bought an 8-piece box of Chick-fil-A nuggets. What an awesome afternoon snack! I might do this every day!
Nov. 17, 2010
Going to the high risk office this afternoon for an ultrasound. Kind of nervous. Things I want to ask about: 1. TTTS and %-age of occurance; 2. Is it mono/mono?; 3. Plans for future care?; 4. Progesterone in 2nd trimester?; 5. cervical cerclage?
Brigit died at about 9 weeks, I'm currently 8 weeks and 5 days.
Nov. 19, 2010
Ultrasound on Wed. went great! Babies look good. HBs: Twin A=176; Twin B=182; measurements: Twin A=9w, 2d; Twin B=9w, 0d. Modified my due date to June 22.
Big news!! Saw a thin line of membrance between them!! Yay! Two sacs!! They do share a placena, but all looks good and all 3 of us will be watched closely. There are interventions for TTTS.
Got a little worried when they were studying the yolk sacs. There seemed to be another one near Twin B and they decided to do an interior ultrasound. Triplets?!?! Luckily no. Phew!! Turns out Twin B's bowels are still outside, but that is normal at this stage.
Progesterone in 2nd trimester not an option. Doesn't work in twins like it does for a singleton. :(
Cervical cerclage may be used, but it depends.
Advised not to travel in February, so no MLA meeting.
Scheduled another ultrasound for 12 weeks following which will have one at 15 weeks and then every two weeks after that.
Went to church tonight for a presentation and film on Archbishop Fulton Sheen. Was really good! Had a wicked headache by the time we got home. So I just finished off an entire can of pear halves.
Dec. 8, 2010
Feast of the Immaculate Conception!
Had another ultrasound yesterday:
Twin A: HB= 158; mm=12w & 1d
Twin B: HB= 150; mm=12w & 2d
So cute to see them moving around so much and their little hands and feet were flying everywhere!
Also had the screening appointment before the ultrasound. All fine there, just a ton of questions. Had one mishap while attempting to give a urine sample (dropped the cup). Did the blood work, downed a whole bottle of water, and did the urine sample successfully the second time. Felt kind of stupid!
That was where my journal entries ended. Since then I have had one more ultrasound (at the end of December) and I have another scheduled for Wednesday of this week. At the one at the end of December they took very careful measurements of the babies to check for possible TTTS (Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome) and they came up with a 0% discrepancy between the babies! This is fantastic! The technician told me she doesn't remember ever giving anyone a 0% discrepancy before!
Another ultrasound and another regular appointment are coming up this week. Hopefully all will continue to look good. I am going to try to give weekly updates each Wednesday from here on out. Other than that, I will try to keep my other posts non-pregnancy related.
Thanks again for all the prayers!! Please continue to pray for us.
Oct. 18, 2010
18 days since thermal shift and temps have been continuing to go up. Took test in AM and BFP [Big Fat Positive]!! As luck would have it, had an appointment already scheduled for today. Had a Beta HCG test done.
Oct. 20, 2010
2nd Beta test done. Saw nurse when I went in to register and she asked me to come back that afternoon for an ultrasound. They had no appointments just clinicals.
Went back at 4pm, saw sac, looks good. Also saw a possible second sac, but doesn't look like it is developing. Probably at 5 weeks.
Oct. 21, 2010
Driving to Normal, IL for a conference; nurse called with Beta test results which showed a 60% rise. Nauseousness starting to set in. Stopped at a Cracker Barrel in no-where Indiana and bought some peppermint sticks. Ah!! Much better!
Nov. 3, 2010
Ultrasound this afternoon! I think I'm about 7 weeks.
Estimate is 6 weeks 4-5 days, due date currently set for June 24. AND ... Twins!! Possibly mono/mono twins, which are exremely rare: 1 sac and 1 placenta. HBs are 125 and 130 bpm.
OMG!!
Nov. 4, 2010
Mentioned to Hubby last night that now we have to come up with 4 names -- he groaned. He doesn't like that process!
Nov. 9, 2010
Over the last week I've noticed:
1. I seem to have an aversion to chocolate -- eating some anyway
2. My lips are constantly dry! (And I'm drinking lots of water!)
3. The first 15 minutes of my day are the best -- it's downhill from there
4. I don't like the thought of any foods but I have to eat and eating makes me feel better. However, cheese and hard-boiled eggs are good!!
At 3:00pm today I went to the student center and bought an 8-piece box of Chick-fil-A nuggets. What an awesome afternoon snack! I might do this every day!
Nov. 17, 2010
Going to the high risk office this afternoon for an ultrasound. Kind of nervous. Things I want to ask about: 1. TTTS and %-age of occurance; 2. Is it mono/mono?; 3. Plans for future care?; 4. Progesterone in 2nd trimester?; 5. cervical cerclage?
Brigit died at about 9 weeks, I'm currently 8 weeks and 5 days.
Nov. 19, 2010
Ultrasound on Wed. went great! Babies look good. HBs: Twin A=176; Twin B=182; measurements: Twin A=9w, 2d; Twin B=9w, 0d. Modified my due date to June 22.
Big news!! Saw a thin line of membrance between them!! Yay! Two sacs!! They do share a placena, but all looks good and all 3 of us will be watched closely. There are interventions for TTTS.
Got a little worried when they were studying the yolk sacs. There seemed to be another one near Twin B and they decided to do an interior ultrasound. Triplets?!?! Luckily no. Phew!! Turns out Twin B's bowels are still outside, but that is normal at this stage.
Progesterone in 2nd trimester not an option. Doesn't work in twins like it does for a singleton. :(
Cervical cerclage may be used, but it depends.
Advised not to travel in February, so no MLA meeting.
Scheduled another ultrasound for 12 weeks following which will have one at 15 weeks and then every two weeks after that.
Went to church tonight for a presentation and film on Archbishop Fulton Sheen. Was really good! Had a wicked headache by the time we got home. So I just finished off an entire can of pear halves.
Dec. 8, 2010
Feast of the Immaculate Conception!
Had another ultrasound yesterday:
Twin A: HB= 158; mm=12w & 1d
Twin B: HB= 150; mm=12w & 2d
So cute to see them moving around so much and their little hands and feet were flying everywhere!
Also had the screening appointment before the ultrasound. All fine there, just a ton of questions. Had one mishap while attempting to give a urine sample (dropped the cup). Did the blood work, downed a whole bottle of water, and did the urine sample successfully the second time. Felt kind of stupid!
That was where my journal entries ended. Since then I have had one more ultrasound (at the end of December) and I have another scheduled for Wednesday of this week. At the one at the end of December they took very careful measurements of the babies to check for possible TTTS (Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome) and they came up with a 0% discrepancy between the babies! This is fantastic! The technician told me she doesn't remember ever giving anyone a 0% discrepancy before!
Another ultrasound and another regular appointment are coming up this week. Hopefully all will continue to look good. I am going to try to give weekly updates each Wednesday from here on out. Other than that, I will try to keep my other posts non-pregnancy related.
Thanks again for all the prayers!! Please continue to pray for us.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
What are your gifts?
Over the last several months I have been attending a class (for lack of a better word) on stewardship at my parish. We spent four classes in the fall watching a video presentation while following along on a worksheet that contained key points and words and then participated in some sort of activity or group discussion that incorporated some lesson from the video. Following that we now have a book called Stewardship: A Disciple's Response from the USCCB that we are reading through and discussing. It's been an interesting thing to follow along with and really has me thinking more about where I contribute to the church.
In some ways I feel like I do very little. We do contribute financially to the church and we are lucky enough to be in a position to do that. Beyond that, I often feel that I don't do much. I used to be involved in music ministry, the young adult group, the church archives, the women's guild, and a Bible study. I used to be really busy! So sometimes when I compare all those things to now, I feel like I do nothing.
It takes some thought, but I do realize that I contribute beyond the financial. In many ways what I do is not something that is easily seen. I often forget about those things myself!!
Even so, is there something more I can be doing? I ponder this a lot and sometimes ask for guidance in my prayers, but so far I haven't felt a clear tug in any particular direction. Plus, is now really a good time to get involved in a particular ministry? My life is going to look quite a bit different in a few months than it does now. And right now, I'm often too tired to think of much beyond just going to work and getting home.
Does anyone else every wonder if they can contribute more to their parish in some way? Maybe you want to contribute but are unsure of where your gifts lie? Well, I may have something that can help you!
In an online community I am a member of someone shared the following link with us. It is a little test or survey from a Catholic parish in Austin, TX. It's a little long, but well worth taking: 115 questions, but shouldn't take more than 10-15 minutes. In the end it ranks a bunch of different gifts according to your answers and provides links to explain what those gifts mean as well as gives a list of ministries that might suit you. The ministries are specific to this parish, but many of our home parishes have the same or similar ministries. It really gives you a good idea of where your gifts might best serve your parish.
You can go here to take the test/survey.
My husband and I both took it. We both got the same gift as our top one: Knowledge. But his second one was Craftsmanship, whereas my Craftsmanship was at the very bottom of my list (I knew I as right when I kept telling him he should have volunteered to help build the live nativity this past Christmas!). Musicianship was also in my top 5, he got a 0 in that particular gift. No wonder he never sings!!
Overall I found the rankings pretty accurate. In my top 5 were all things that I either have been involved with in the past, currently am doing, or have contemplated doing. It's kind of nice to get that affirmation that maybe my thinking is on the right track.
Take the test. How'd you do? Do you agree with your results? I'd love to hear your reactions.
In some ways I feel like I do very little. We do contribute financially to the church and we are lucky enough to be in a position to do that. Beyond that, I often feel that I don't do much. I used to be involved in music ministry, the young adult group, the church archives, the women's guild, and a Bible study. I used to be really busy! So sometimes when I compare all those things to now, I feel like I do nothing.
It takes some thought, but I do realize that I contribute beyond the financial. In many ways what I do is not something that is easily seen. I often forget about those things myself!!
Even so, is there something more I can be doing? I ponder this a lot and sometimes ask for guidance in my prayers, but so far I haven't felt a clear tug in any particular direction. Plus, is now really a good time to get involved in a particular ministry? My life is going to look quite a bit different in a few months than it does now. And right now, I'm often too tired to think of much beyond just going to work and getting home.
Does anyone else every wonder if they can contribute more to their parish in some way? Maybe you want to contribute but are unsure of where your gifts lie? Well, I may have something that can help you!
In an online community I am a member of someone shared the following link with us. It is a little test or survey from a Catholic parish in Austin, TX. It's a little long, but well worth taking: 115 questions, but shouldn't take more than 10-15 minutes. In the end it ranks a bunch of different gifts according to your answers and provides links to explain what those gifts mean as well as gives a list of ministries that might suit you. The ministries are specific to this parish, but many of our home parishes have the same or similar ministries. It really gives you a good idea of where your gifts might best serve your parish.
You can go here to take the test/survey.
My husband and I both took it. We both got the same gift as our top one: Knowledge. But his second one was Craftsmanship, whereas my Craftsmanship was at the very bottom of my list (I knew I as right when I kept telling him he should have volunteered to help build the live nativity this past Christmas!). Musicianship was also in my top 5, he got a 0 in that particular gift. No wonder he never sings!!
Overall I found the rankings pretty accurate. In my top 5 were all things that I either have been involved with in the past, currently am doing, or have contemplated doing. It's kind of nice to get that affirmation that maybe my thinking is on the right track.
Take the test. How'd you do? Do you agree with your results? I'd love to hear your reactions.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Happy Birthday, Zachary!
Today is Zachary's second birthday. Happy Birthday, little guy! I can't believe it's been two years already. It was such a sad day two years ago, but I cherish those few hours I got to hold him and stare at his precious face.
Today it is snowing and I'm not confident about the roads in the cemetery since they are narrow and it's kind of hilly there. So I won't be going over there today. Hopefully we can stop by this weekend. It has actually been a while since we were there.
I'm not sure I've ever shared this picture here, but today seems an appropriate day to do so. Here is Zachary on January 11, 2009.
Over the years I have shared with several people one way we remember all our babies. I have Christmas tree ornaments that have their names and birth dates on them. This year I finally took a picture of them. So if you are looking for a way to remember your children who went home too early, especially as a way to remind your living children of their siblings who are praying for them, here is one idea for you.
Happy Birthday, Zachary! Please pray for us!!
Today it is snowing and I'm not confident about the roads in the cemetery since they are narrow and it's kind of hilly there. So I won't be going over there today. Hopefully we can stop by this weekend. It has actually been a while since we were there.
I'm not sure I've ever shared this picture here, but today seems an appropriate day to do so. Here is Zachary on January 11, 2009.
 |
| Zachary Thomas, 1/11/09, 1 pound, 12 inches |
Over the years I have shared with several people one way we remember all our babies. I have Christmas tree ornaments that have their names and birth dates on them. This year I finally took a picture of them. So if you are looking for a way to remember your children who went home too early, especially as a way to remind your living children of their siblings who are praying for them, here is one idea for you.
 |
| Ornaments bought from and personalized by Santa's Pen |
Happy Birthday, Zachary! Please pray for us!!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Construction Begins!!
After many, many years, my church is beginning a large construction project. It is all very exciting!! We will be building a permanent Perpetual Adoration Chapel, a new baptismal font, a redo of the sanctuary to allow the tabernacle to be moved to its rightful place, and a new rectory. Some of this construction will also necessitate a few other minor changes. Oh, and my church is the Cathedral parish. How wonderful will it be to have the Cathedral parish with it's own Perpetual Adoration Chapel and the Tabernacle in the correct place behind the altar! Can't wait!!
It's going to be an interesting year as all this takes place, but it will all be worth it. I wanted to share a few pictures form the ground breaking ceremony we went to yesterday.
First, a picture of the front of the Cathedral as it currently looks.
Just to the left of the front entrance where you can see some thicker-looking trees is where the Adoration Chapel will be. This is the first phase of the construction and so the ground breaking was held over in that corner.
It was cold on Sunday! After mass we headed outside wondering if they were going to be using ice picks for the ground breaking. Did I mention it was cold? Snow was on the ground from Saturday and it was cloudy. As we gathered around we noticed four mounds of fresh dirt. So no ice picks needed, they just brought dirt in!
Those shovels were gold!!
The ceremony started with a procession of the Knights of Columbus with the Bishop and our Rector following behind. And just as this all started happening the sun came out! How amazing is that?!
The Bishop isn't really visible behind the Knights, but that's our Rector just behind them.
Everyone lined up behind the shovels or the podium and then remarks and the official blessing was done.
The blessing itself was neat. Not only was the area blessed for what we all look forward to seeing, but the ground breaking blessing also includes prayers for the safety of all workers that will be on the site during construction. Isn't it great how we think of everything!
Finally, they did the actual "ground breaking" with the imported dirt.
This was the only picture I got. I should have waited a few seconds until they actually picked the shovels up with the dirt in it. But you get the idea. It's all really for show anyway, right.
So this will be the site of our new St. Kevin Perpetual Adoration Chapel. It will be so nice to have a real chapel for Adoration, rather than an old office in the school that only sits about 8 people comfortably, but you can squeeze in about a dozen if you really wanted to. The new Chapel will sit about 30 people, enough that a class from the school can go in there as well as a few other visitors.
I have a feeling by the time it is finished will be about the time that I will have to give up my regular adoration hour. My husband and I have different hours that we do and we've decided that once the babies come I'll have to give up mine, but we can either all go to his (maybe, it is 6am!) or I could go in his place if I need a break and some silence. So I'll still visit, I just probably won't be there weekly like I am now.
At the same time, the new Baptistry should also be finished!! I'm excited to think that our babies could potentially be baptized in the new baptistry shortly after it is finished. I have no idea what the actual timetables are, but the later phases of the overall project are supposed to start in the summer. That seems to imply that the first phases should be done or close to done by summer.
I love all these changes!!
It's going to be an interesting year as all this takes place, but it will all be worth it. I wanted to share a few pictures form the ground breaking ceremony we went to yesterday.
First, a picture of the front of the Cathedral as it currently looks.
It was cold on Sunday! After mass we headed outside wondering if they were going to be using ice picks for the ground breaking. Did I mention it was cold? Snow was on the ground from Saturday and it was cloudy. As we gathered around we noticed four mounds of fresh dirt. So no ice picks needed, they just brought dirt in!
The ceremony started with a procession of the Knights of Columbus with the Bishop and our Rector following behind. And just as this all started happening the sun came out! How amazing is that?!
Everyone lined up behind the shovels or the podium and then remarks and the official blessing was done.
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Finally, they did the actual "ground breaking" with the imported dirt.
So this will be the site of our new St. Kevin Perpetual Adoration Chapel. It will be so nice to have a real chapel for Adoration, rather than an old office in the school that only sits about 8 people comfortably, but you can squeeze in about a dozen if you really wanted to. The new Chapel will sit about 30 people, enough that a class from the school can go in there as well as a few other visitors.
I have a feeling by the time it is finished will be about the time that I will have to give up my regular adoration hour. My husband and I have different hours that we do and we've decided that once the babies come I'll have to give up mine, but we can either all go to his (maybe, it is 6am!) or I could go in his place if I need a break and some silence. So I'll still visit, I just probably won't be there weekly like I am now.
At the same time, the new Baptistry should also be finished!! I'm excited to think that our babies could potentially be baptized in the new baptistry shortly after it is finished. I have no idea what the actual timetables are, but the later phases of the overall project are supposed to start in the summer. That seems to imply that the first phases should be done or close to done by summer.
I love all these changes!!
Saturday, January 08, 2011
7 Quick Takes Friday, vol. 13
Welcome to another edition of 7 Quick Takes, another "random thoughts" version.
~1~
After a full two week break that didn't involve any traveling, this past week I had to go back to work. Amazingly, it wasn't too hard to get back into the swing of things. On the other hand, after a full week back, I'm kind of ready for another break.
~2~
Maternity tops have now officially been introduced into my wardrobe. I'm hoping to put off maternity pants for a while. During my pregnancy with Zachary I could not get them to stay up. I'm sure if that pregnancy had gone full-term they would have eventually fit, but I just never got big enough. This time, I'm hoping to put it off as long as possible. The 16 pounds I lost this summer are helping, I'm wearing my older pants from before the weight loss. Hoping they'll last at least a couple more weeks.
~3~
I hate that I have a list of ideas in my head to add to this list but when I sit down at the computer I go blank. I really need to learn to write things down. It's now Saturday ...
~4~
Woke up this Saturday morning to snow! I'm not a big fan of snow, mostly because I usually still have to go to work or run errands or whatever. I would add shoveling the driveway to that list, but I'm not allowed to do that this winter. Snow was different when I lived further south, more enjoyable because you couldn't drive anywhere. Not so true here, you're still expected to go about your day. At least it is Saturday and I don't have to work today!! Looks like we have approximately three inches or more, and it's still coming down. I thought it was only supposed to be a dusting.
~5~
In my post about the new year, I mentioned wanting to do a daily rosary again. I did manage to get up early on Sunday and have some quiet time to say a rosary and Monday I did one while at my morning adoration hour. The rest of the week, not so much. I'm not a morning person, but if I don't do it then it won't get done. But twice this week is better than nothing. Hopefully I can do better next week.
~6~
I'm suddenly feeling bigger and less mobile. Getting up and down from the couch is awkward and trying to turn over in bed is extremely uncomfortable. I'm only 16 weeks!! This shouldn't already be happening, should it? Okay, yes, I know, I am pregnant with twins, but still.
~7~
I learned something interesting at a meeting at church one night this week. But not something theological or anything! During the discussion one of the priests happened to mention that he learned this year from the floral person at Kroger how to properly water poinsettias. As a result, the poinsettias in our church are still looking pretty good as we get to the end of the Christmas season. The secret? You put a cup of ice in each one every three days. (The amount of ice may depend on the size of the plant, the ones at church are pretty good size.) There's a random piece of info for you!
For more Quick Takes, check out Jen Fulwiler's blog post at Conversion Diary. And please say a prayer for Jen who was unable to put up her own Quick Takes because she had to go to the hospital for an emergency ultrasound on her leg.
Friday, January 07, 2011
"What are you reading?" Interview Questions
In November I posted about an assignment I had taken on as a new member of the Employee News Blog at my work. I had asked for suggestions for questions and a few readers offered some very helpful ideas. Thank you everyone who helped out!! I thought I would post the list of questions I finally came up with. I think I'll use this in my first interview and then tweak them from there. One of goals in 2011, is to finally get on the ball and get some of these done. (I had wanted to get at least one done before the Christmas break. Yeah, that didn't happen.)
So, here are the questions I'll be starting out with. What do you think?
What Are You Reading??
What book are you currently reading and who is it by? Is it for fun or for something else (work or class)?
If Fiction:
Why did you choose to read this particular book? (recommended, like the author, subject matter)
What genre would you classify this book as and have you read a lot of books in that genre? If so, how does this one compare?
Is this a favorite author or a new one for you? Would you read more by this author after this book?
How do you like the book so far? Is it better than expected, what you expected, or worse? Is anything turning you off?
Has the author drawn you in and how?
Who would you recommend this book to or what kinds of people do you think would like this book?
If non-Fiction:
Why did you choose to read this particular title? (assigned it, developing a skill/knowledge in an area, recommended, etc.)
How do you like the book so far? Is it better than expected, what you expected, or worse? Is anything turning you off?
Are you learning what you wanted to learn from this book?
Has the author drawn you in or not? How have they or what could they have done better?
Who would you recommend this book to or what kinds of people do you think would like this book?
For all books, final questions:
Do you have a favorite book, author, or genre and what/who is it?
Can you name a few books that you found boring or too difficult and eventually put down, never finishing?
If you were stranded on a desert island and could take only one book with you, what would it be?
I like these questions so far, we'll see what I think after they've been tested once or twice. If there is interest here, I can post links to the write-ups of these interviews once they get posted on our employee blog. I think it's interesting to see what the people who all work with and around books all day long are actually reading themselves!
Thanks again to all those who chipped in with suggestions for things I could ask!!
So, here are the questions I'll be starting out with. What do you think?
What Are You Reading??
What book are you currently reading and who is it by? Is it for fun or for something else (work or class)?
If Fiction:
Why did you choose to read this particular book? (recommended, like the author, subject matter)
What genre would you classify this book as and have you read a lot of books in that genre? If so, how does this one compare?
Is this a favorite author or a new one for you? Would you read more by this author after this book?
How do you like the book so far? Is it better than expected, what you expected, or worse? Is anything turning you off?
Has the author drawn you in and how?
Who would you recommend this book to or what kinds of people do you think would like this book?
If non-Fiction:
Why did you choose to read this particular title? (assigned it, developing a skill/knowledge in an area, recommended, etc.)
How do you like the book so far? Is it better than expected, what you expected, or worse? Is anything turning you off?
Are you learning what you wanted to learn from this book?
Has the author drawn you in or not? How have they or what could they have done better?
Who would you recommend this book to or what kinds of people do you think would like this book?
For all books, final questions:
Do you have a favorite book, author, or genre and what/who is it?
Can you name a few books that you found boring or too difficult and eventually put down, never finishing?
If you were stranded on a desert island and could take only one book with you, what would it be?
I like these questions so far, we'll see what I think after they've been tested once or twice. If there is interest here, I can post links to the write-ups of these interviews once they get posted on our employee blog. I think it's interesting to see what the people who all work with and around books all day long are actually reading themselves!
Thanks again to all those who chipped in with suggestions for things I could ask!!
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Thoughts on the Old and New Year
Happy 2011. Are you making resolutions? Goals for the year? Looking forward to anything? Or are you just going to let the year unfold?
Last year I made resolutions. In all honesty, they were more like personal goals than real resolutions. But, I will say that I made progress on most of them. I did write more on this blog this past year. In addition to more writing, I also wanted to have quality posts. I have no desire to write just to write. So I hope the quality of my posts are improving.
Second, my husband and I did do a good job saying a daily rosary for about 4 to 5 months. I think it started falling off around the time of my miscarriage in May. Understandable to some extent, but really the Rosary should have been a comfort during that time. Unfortunately it wasn't. This is more than worth trying again.
Reading more. Well, I did do some reading, but I'm not sure it was any more than usual. And the TV and computer time certainly got in the way. Something to continue working on for sure.
I think I did well in the physical health arena. I started the year pretty well, but didn't really lose a lot in those first few months before I got pregnant. After the miscarriage I jumped back on the bandwagon and ended up losing about 16 pounds. My physical endurance was also obviously much improved, evident by the fact that my husband actually had a hard time keeping up with me on our walks. I gained a little back in September, but then got pregnant shortly after. Did the weight loss help in getting pregnant? Possibly, I may never know. But that's okay.
So what am I doing this year? To start, I want to keep my life fairly stress-free. Carrying twins will probably not be easy. So far things are good, but I know I get easily stressed and that just isn't good for any pregnancy. Since some of the things that can be done to help prevent pre-term labor have not been shown to have any effect on multiples pregnancies (I can explain more in a future post), I have decided that stress-free living is one way I can help myself. These past two weeks have been great (see number 2 on this post)!! I also won't be traveling in February for my annual conference (I stress about being at the airport on time, connecting flights, keeping up with multiple boarding passes, not knowing airport layouts, ground transportation, my hotel reservation, and then the whole thing in reverse plus trying to get to a Mass on that Sunday, because the conference always ends on Saturday nights, either in the city I'm in or at some church back home). Work can be stressful, but I have gotten better at delegating things, I'm not going to worry about my potential promotion, and I'm way ahead on the article I have due in June (yeah, same time as my due date). If I have to be on bed rest, so be it. I'll make it through and I know I have tons of friends who will jump in and help me out if I need something.
So, yeah. Less stress! That's my main goal for the next few months.
In addition, I need to get back into my spiritual life, specifically the Rosary. Let's start there for now. I have a habit of adding too much and then failing. So I'm going to stick to one thing. And what can be better than the Rosary? Maybe since I'm not going to the gym anymore I should get up like I used to for the gym and say a Rosary then.
Hmm, that's an idea!! I should try that tomorrow. I'll let you know how that works out!
Other than trying to reduce stress in my life and work on a daily Rosary, I think I just want to see the year unfold. As I have said many times, it is more and more obvious to me that there is more that I can't control than I can. Plus there are so many unknowns with this pregnancy that I am really working on putting all my trust and faith in God and the intercessions of the community of saints.
And should we get all the way through this pregnancy (please, God), who knows how much my life will change!! So why try to plan anything!
2011 for me? Less stress, praying the Rosary, and letting go. I truly have no idea what this year is going to bring and I think I'd rather not try to guess (if you know me at all, you can stop laughing now!).
What are you looking forward to this year? Have you made resolutions? Anything you want to do to improve your life? Share your thoughts in the comments. Hope 2011 brings many blessings to all of you!
Last year I made resolutions. In all honesty, they were more like personal goals than real resolutions. But, I will say that I made progress on most of them. I did write more on this blog this past year. In addition to more writing, I also wanted to have quality posts. I have no desire to write just to write. So I hope the quality of my posts are improving.
Second, my husband and I did do a good job saying a daily rosary for about 4 to 5 months. I think it started falling off around the time of my miscarriage in May. Understandable to some extent, but really the Rosary should have been a comfort during that time. Unfortunately it wasn't. This is more than worth trying again.
Reading more. Well, I did do some reading, but I'm not sure it was any more than usual. And the TV and computer time certainly got in the way. Something to continue working on for sure.
I think I did well in the physical health arena. I started the year pretty well, but didn't really lose a lot in those first few months before I got pregnant. After the miscarriage I jumped back on the bandwagon and ended up losing about 16 pounds. My physical endurance was also obviously much improved, evident by the fact that my husband actually had a hard time keeping up with me on our walks. I gained a little back in September, but then got pregnant shortly after. Did the weight loss help in getting pregnant? Possibly, I may never know. But that's okay.
So what am I doing this year? To start, I want to keep my life fairly stress-free. Carrying twins will probably not be easy. So far things are good, but I know I get easily stressed and that just isn't good for any pregnancy. Since some of the things that can be done to help prevent pre-term labor have not been shown to have any effect on multiples pregnancies (I can explain more in a future post), I have decided that stress-free living is one way I can help myself. These past two weeks have been great (see number 2 on this post)!! I also won't be traveling in February for my annual conference (I stress about being at the airport on time, connecting flights, keeping up with multiple boarding passes, not knowing airport layouts, ground transportation, my hotel reservation, and then the whole thing in reverse plus trying to get to a Mass on that Sunday, because the conference always ends on Saturday nights, either in the city I'm in or at some church back home). Work can be stressful, but I have gotten better at delegating things, I'm not going to worry about my potential promotion, and I'm way ahead on the article I have due in June (yeah, same time as my due date). If I have to be on bed rest, so be it. I'll make it through and I know I have tons of friends who will jump in and help me out if I need something.
So, yeah. Less stress! That's my main goal for the next few months.
In addition, I need to get back into my spiritual life, specifically the Rosary. Let's start there for now. I have a habit of adding too much and then failing. So I'm going to stick to one thing. And what can be better than the Rosary? Maybe since I'm not going to the gym anymore I should get up like I used to for the gym and say a Rosary then.
Hmm, that's an idea!! I should try that tomorrow. I'll let you know how that works out!
Other than trying to reduce stress in my life and work on a daily Rosary, I think I just want to see the year unfold. As I have said many times, it is more and more obvious to me that there is more that I can't control than I can. Plus there are so many unknowns with this pregnancy that I am really working on putting all my trust and faith in God and the intercessions of the community of saints.
And should we get all the way through this pregnancy (please, God), who knows how much my life will change!! So why try to plan anything!
2011 for me? Less stress, praying the Rosary, and letting go. I truly have no idea what this year is going to bring and I think I'd rather not try to guess (if you know me at all, you can stop laughing now!).
What are you looking forward to this year? Have you made resolutions? Anything you want to do to improve your life? Share your thoughts in the comments. Hope 2011 brings many blessings to all of you!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Big Announcement
I'm finally letting the cat out of the bag! It's been a long time in coming and it is such a relief to finally be able to share this news. At this point I believe we have shared this news with all those who are close to us, either in person, through the letter in our Christmas cards that went out early this week, and also through Facebook. So now it is time to share here.
The big news?? We're expecting again!! We found out in mid-October but decided that we wanted to wait and see how things went before we shared the news widely. Then we learned more. We're having twins!!
My high risk category just went up again.
Turns out we have identical twins. They share a placenta but thankfully are in separate sacs. The variations on twins are way more complicated than I ever imagined. Not that I ever gave it much thought. The idea that I may one day have twins has probably never entered my mind!
Thankfully, the pregnancy is going smoothly. I'm nervous going into every appointment (understandably) but so far we've received nothing but good news on the progress of these two babies. I'm currently at 15 weeks. I'm being watched carefully with ultrasounds every two weeks and appointments with my regular OB also every two weeks starting after my next appointment (which is about 3 weeks away currently).
I'll post more later about how things have gone so far. I did keep a written journal for a little while from about the time we found out until just after Thanksgiving. So I may post a few select entries from that to give you a flavor of how things have been so far.
In the meantime, here are two pictures from today's ultrasound. Enjoy!!
One last thing, I am giving all the credit to our Blessed Mother for how well things have gone so far. I have been asking for her prayers and intercession constantly (although it may be better described as begging). Sleep is already becoming difficult, so I spend much of my time lying in bed praying the Hail Mary. I appreciate all prayers you may be willing to offer up for us as we make it through the next several weeks. Pre-term labor is one of my biggest fears right now (in addition to a few other possible issues that could come up). Thank you!!
The big news?? We're expecting again!! We found out in mid-October but decided that we wanted to wait and see how things went before we shared the news widely. Then we learned more. We're having twins!!
My high risk category just went up again.
Turns out we have identical twins. They share a placenta but thankfully are in separate sacs. The variations on twins are way more complicated than I ever imagined. Not that I ever gave it much thought. The idea that I may one day have twins has probably never entered my mind!
Thankfully, the pregnancy is going smoothly. I'm nervous going into every appointment (understandably) but so far we've received nothing but good news on the progress of these two babies. I'm currently at 15 weeks. I'm being watched carefully with ultrasounds every two weeks and appointments with my regular OB also every two weeks starting after my next appointment (which is about 3 weeks away currently).
I'll post more later about how things have gone so far. I did keep a written journal for a little while from about the time we found out until just after Thanksgiving. So I may post a few select entries from that to give you a flavor of how things have been so far.
In the meantime, here are two pictures from today's ultrasound. Enjoy!!
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| Baby A profile at 15 weeks |
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| Baby B profile (and waving hi) at 15 weeks |
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Today's Innocents
Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, a day that I have taken note of more in just the last few years. On this day we commemorate the death of the innocent young boys killed by Herod's army in his attempt to find and destroy the newborn king he had been told of by the Magi (Matthew 2: 16-18). We consider these innocents the first martyrs for Christ. And so, on this day, we remember these innocent children.
On a feast day like this I can't help but also remember how many other children have lost their lives. It might seem natural that I may be thinking of my own children, but actually I'm not. I'm thinking more about the many, many children who have lost their lives through the abominable act of abortion. At this time, probably close to 50 million children. 50 million!!
These are the innocents of our own time. Not that abortion is new, but that 50 million is just the number of children killed in the United States since 1973 and only from those states reporting numbers. So really, that number could be (and most definitely is) a lot larger.
Today I happened to be in the car during part of a broadcast of today's mass at the local Newman Center. We got in the car just at the end of the Gospel reading and then listened to the priest's homily. He spoke about the Innocents of Bethlehem and then about abortion. He mentioned that about one in every three pregnancies ends in abortion. This is just sad!
What really struck me, however, was when he mentioned that for every 1000 abortions in a year, there are 17 adoptions. Only 17!! I know so many people who want to adopt children, several who are on waiting lists and have been waiting for a long time. Many people, after investigating their adoption options, will opt for international adoption because of how complicated adoption is domestically.
Not only is it complicated, but there seemingly aren't that many children available for adoption. Otherwise, why would couples have to wait 12, 18 or even 24 months to receive a match. And that wait doesn't include the long paper work process. Seems to me that we could have a lot less abortions if we educated people on the wonderful benefits of adoption.
And adoption means less killing of innocent children. These are innocent children, there is no way to sugar-coat it. The small, innocent boys of Bethlehem lost their lives around the time of Jesus birth. They were mourned by their mothers and families, no doubt. Those who have gone through the pain of abortion often also mourn the loss of their children, as is evident in the Silent No More Campaign.
We should all mourn the loss of today's innocents. These children who would now be in their middle-30s and younger. Children of my generation that we never knew. These children could be scientists, lawyers, doctors, teachers, construction workers, mothers, fathers, friends, and neighbors. These are the innocents of our generation. Wouldn't it be nice if our children could live in a world where abortion was non-existant?
God Bless the innocents who lost their lives over 2000 years ago and the many innocents who lose their lives each day to the evils of abortion.
On a feast day like this I can't help but also remember how many other children have lost their lives. It might seem natural that I may be thinking of my own children, but actually I'm not. I'm thinking more about the many, many children who have lost their lives through the abominable act of abortion. At this time, probably close to 50 million children. 50 million!!
These are the innocents of our own time. Not that abortion is new, but that 50 million is just the number of children killed in the United States since 1973 and only from those states reporting numbers. So really, that number could be (and most definitely is) a lot larger.
Today I happened to be in the car during part of a broadcast of today's mass at the local Newman Center. We got in the car just at the end of the Gospel reading and then listened to the priest's homily. He spoke about the Innocents of Bethlehem and then about abortion. He mentioned that about one in every three pregnancies ends in abortion. This is just sad!
What really struck me, however, was when he mentioned that for every 1000 abortions in a year, there are 17 adoptions. Only 17!! I know so many people who want to adopt children, several who are on waiting lists and have been waiting for a long time. Many people, after investigating their adoption options, will opt for international adoption because of how complicated adoption is domestically.
Not only is it complicated, but there seemingly aren't that many children available for adoption. Otherwise, why would couples have to wait 12, 18 or even 24 months to receive a match. And that wait doesn't include the long paper work process. Seems to me that we could have a lot less abortions if we educated people on the wonderful benefits of adoption.
And adoption means less killing of innocent children. These are innocent children, there is no way to sugar-coat it. The small, innocent boys of Bethlehem lost their lives around the time of Jesus birth. They were mourned by their mothers and families, no doubt. Those who have gone through the pain of abortion often also mourn the loss of their children, as is evident in the Silent No More Campaign.
We should all mourn the loss of today's innocents. These children who would now be in their middle-30s and younger. Children of my generation that we never knew. These children could be scientists, lawyers, doctors, teachers, construction workers, mothers, fathers, friends, and neighbors. These are the innocents of our generation. Wouldn't it be nice if our children could live in a world where abortion was non-existant?
God Bless the innocents who lost their lives over 2000 years ago and the many innocents who lose their lives each day to the evils of abortion.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Quick Takes Friday, vol. 12
Today is the beginning of a two-week break from work for me! No vacation time required; it’s all holiday and bonus days given to us by the University. So excited!! Here are seven things I plan on doing during my vacation.
~1~
Christmas Shopping. First and foremost, the Christmas shopping has to get done and a few packages have to be mailed off to people who don’t live close (two nieces, a godson, a “secret saint” gift). I’m looking forward to going shopping in the morning when the stores open instead of fighting crowds after work or on weekends. Yay!!
~2~
Daily Mass and maybe Reconciliation. Daily Mass is something I used to do before I got married and I lived closer to our church. Now, I just can’t get there and trying to go to the noon mass on campus just hasn’t worked out for me. I am planning on attending the evening mass this coming Monday and I hope to attend a few more. How nice it’ll be to go to daily Mass and not be thinking about anything else! And as for Reconciliation, well, it’s just been a while. I find it hard to get to unless I’m not working. So I should probably take advantage of the fact that I’m not working this week and go.
~3~
Put away the wedding dress. Yes, I’ve been married for over three years now and the wedding dress is taking up mucho space in one of our few closets. Storage space in our house is at a premium!! So next week, I plan on finally taking it to a bridal shop for them to send out to be dry-cleaned and preserved. It’ll be nice to have it in a more manageable box.
~4~
Clean the house!! Oh man, does my house need it. After working all day, doing errands on weekends, and trying to keep some semblance of a social life, I am just too tired to clean the house. One day I will ask for a maid to come in once a year to clean things like blinds and other hard to clean things, but for now, I really just need to get the basics done: bathrooms, dusting, vacuuming. I want to feel like things are somewhat fresh, even if just for a short time. I think the maid idea would make a great Mother’s Day gift. I’m only asking for it once a year.
~5~
Attend a Baptism. One of my friends had a baby in November and the Baptism is the Monday after Christmas. For once I am really looking forward to attending a Baptism. Baptisms can be so hard (along with baby showers and other baby things). But this friend has been through so much to get pregnant. Three years of struggles until she finally started seeing a NaPro Tech doctor and finally got pregnant. So happy for her and her husband!! I am finding myself most excited about babies that come after much waiting and praying. So this Baptism will be very special. (Not only that, but she has been so supportive during my losses as well, attending Zachary’s funeral and Brigit’s burial service, and having lunch with me on Zachary’s due date. She’s been an awesome friend!)
~6~
Christmas cards. I haven’t done these yet, but I’m not worried about it. Christmas starts on Dec. 25, so who says I need to get them out during Advent? I’ll be working on them during this next week and I plan on putting them in the mail just as the Christmas season begins. I see people on Facebook stressing out over not having their Christmas cards done yet. Why? Christmas hasn’t even begun; we have all the way through mid-January!
~7~
Read!! Oh there are so many things I need to read!! I have stacks of Catholic magazines, newsletters from religious communities and other Catholic organizations, our local Catholic newspaper, and tons of books. True, I won’t get through all of it in the next two weeks, but I’d love to make a dent in it. I’d love to clear out most of the old newspapers and magazines, read one book, and catch up on all the blogs I read. I’m also interested in adding a few things to my own blog, but that’s low on the priority list at this point.
Merry Christmas to all!! I hope it is a blessed Christmas for everyone!!
For more Quick Takes check out the Quick Takes Post at Jen Fulwiler's blog where there are always lots of links to many great blogs. Thanks to Jen for her wonderful Quick Takes hosting!!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Living Typical Day, Thinking of the Alternative
Today was a typical day in my life, a fairly typical Monday. I had my adoration hour, went to work, came home, had dinner with my husband (leftovers, nothing exciting there either), and we spent our evening decorating the Christmas tree, watching a little TV, and basically just hanging out. Yes, it is cold, it snowed, the schools were out and the university was on a two-hour delay. But none of this is really that out of the ordinary for our lives. It is December, after all.
So what is the alternative? Why would I be thinking of something else today?
Easter weekend this year I knew there was a very good possibility that I was pregnant. I had been disappointed the cycle before so I had resisted calculating the potential due date until after I had taken a test. On that Monday I took the test and got a positive!! I was so excited!! And then I got an email from a friend telling me she was pregnant after several years of infertility struggles! It was such a great day!
As any woman who has ever been pregnant can tell you, the next step is knowing when that due date is. Your life for the next several months revolves around that date and you can't even imagine what life will look like after that date. My date? It was December 13, 2010, exactly one month after my friend's due date.
Yep, today is my due date. How I wish I was sitting here nine months pregnant or holding a baby or sitting in a hospital right now. But alas, my baby didn't make it. It is sad just how many children don't make. Life is precious, and that has been emphasized for me in so many ways the past three years.
So today ... it was a normal day, but also a bit surreal. I did what I do most days. Yet in some ways I knew that things could have been very different. Yep, surreal. But I still have my faith and I trust that God knows what He is doing. I certainly have no control, that is obvious.
I have anticipated this date for a long time. Even after the loss of the baby I thought about what this date would bring. Would I be sad? Would I remember? Would it be on my mind all day? All I can say is that the thought was there, but I got through the day without a hitch.
If you know someone who has gone through a pregnancy loss, I'm here to tell you that they will never forget their due date. I remember all three of mine. And each year as they pass I think about what "could have been." It may sound sad, but at the same time it's a good thing. I'm glad to have these moments when I can think about my children. I would hate for these children of mine to fade away from my memory. I cherish these times when I can remember that I once eagerly expected the birth of this particular child. So should a friend share something like this with you, don't downplay the date, that just causes more pain.
The child we lost in May of this year was a girl. I wrote about the whole miscarriage experience on this blog this summer. She died at 9 weeks (around May 10), we found out at 10 weeks, and the D&C was at 11 weeks. She died due to a chromosome anomaly called Trisomy 16. And, most importantly, her name is Brigit Ann.
So today, I remember Brigit Ann and what could have been, if only things been different. I imagine her in Heaven with her siblings Casey and Zachary, being watched over by the Blessed Mother, and participating in the constant worship of our Heavenly Father with all the saints. I wish we could have had more time with Brigit. Instead, I can just say how much I love the little girl that I never saw and never got to hold. And I ask you, little Brigit, to pray for us.
So what is the alternative? Why would I be thinking of something else today?
Easter weekend this year I knew there was a very good possibility that I was pregnant. I had been disappointed the cycle before so I had resisted calculating the potential due date until after I had taken a test. On that Monday I took the test and got a positive!! I was so excited!! And then I got an email from a friend telling me she was pregnant after several years of infertility struggles! It was such a great day!
As any woman who has ever been pregnant can tell you, the next step is knowing when that due date is. Your life for the next several months revolves around that date and you can't even imagine what life will look like after that date. My date? It was December 13, 2010, exactly one month after my friend's due date.
Yep, today is my due date. How I wish I was sitting here nine months pregnant or holding a baby or sitting in a hospital right now. But alas, my baby didn't make it. It is sad just how many children don't make. Life is precious, and that has been emphasized for me in so many ways the past three years.
So today ... it was a normal day, but also a bit surreal. I did what I do most days. Yet in some ways I knew that things could have been very different. Yep, surreal. But I still have my faith and I trust that God knows what He is doing. I certainly have no control, that is obvious.
I have anticipated this date for a long time. Even after the loss of the baby I thought about what this date would bring. Would I be sad? Would I remember? Would it be on my mind all day? All I can say is that the thought was there, but I got through the day without a hitch.
If you know someone who has gone through a pregnancy loss, I'm here to tell you that they will never forget their due date. I remember all three of mine. And each year as they pass I think about what "could have been." It may sound sad, but at the same time it's a good thing. I'm glad to have these moments when I can think about my children. I would hate for these children of mine to fade away from my memory. I cherish these times when I can remember that I once eagerly expected the birth of this particular child. So should a friend share something like this with you, don't downplay the date, that just causes more pain.
The child we lost in May of this year was a girl. I wrote about the whole miscarriage experience on this blog this summer. She died at 9 weeks (around May 10), we found out at 10 weeks, and the D&C was at 11 weeks. She died due to a chromosome anomaly called Trisomy 16. And, most importantly, her name is Brigit Ann.
So today, I remember Brigit Ann and what could have been, if only things been different. I imagine her in Heaven with her siblings Casey and Zachary, being watched over by the Blessed Mother, and participating in the constant worship of our Heavenly Father with all the saints. I wish we could have had more time with Brigit. Instead, I can just say how much I love the little girl that I never saw and never got to hold. And I ask you, little Brigit, to pray for us.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Opening up about Miscarriage
Miscarriage is often a silent suffering. So many women keep it to themselves. Whether this is because they don't want to make others feel uncomfortable, are afraid of what someone might say, or don't want to sound negative, I don't know. Unfortunately, because of the perceived taboo on discussing this subject in our culture, women, and men too, often suffer in silence.
I don't know why, but when I had my first miscarriage it never occurred to me to keep it silent. As a matter of fact, we had not yet told anyone we were expecting so I could have avoided telling anyone anything at all if I had wanted. But I chose not to. And like I said, I really don't know why. So we told our families and then our friends and then co-workers and others. We held a memorial mass and we named the baby.
But what surprised me the most was how many people told me that they too had had a miscarriage! Some of these women I had known for several years. None of them had ever spoken about it before. That is, until they heard about mine, then they opened up to me. It got me thinking about how important having support during tragedy really is. And here were these friends of mine who I was never able to offer support to because I never knew of their suffering.
I also recognize that every individual is different and will handle situations differently than others. Miscarriage is a very sensitive topic and some women prefer to keep it between themselves and their husbands. That is fine. But I do think there is a benefit to having some sort of support, whether through an anonymous online forum, a close friend or group of friends who have also "been there," or through a spiritual advisor or something along those lines. The grief of losing a baby is very like the grief of losing any member of your family. It doesn't matter how long or short that life was.
So I feel for those who suffer in silence and don't seek out support. I hope that my openness through my three losses will help others to see that it's not so scary to talk about it. Or at least, if they know me, would come to me for a listening ear and the empathy that only someone who has suffered the same thing can understand. Although, I don't write about it as often as I thought I would, this topic has also become one of the reasons I continue to maintain this blog.
I was inspired to write this post after someone I know posted a link on Facebook regarding Lisa Ling talking about her recent miscarriage on the TV program "The View." I don't watch this show, not just because I work during the day (and don't own a DVR), but also because I don't normally agree with the points of view of the women on this show and I can't handle the bickering I often see in clips that are shown at other times. Regardless of my personal opinion, I was glad to see this topic come up. Here is a short article about Ling's appearance as well as just a 1 minute clip of the beginning of the discussion. I wish I knew how the rest of the conversation went and if the show's hosts asked appropriate and sensitive questions or not. But Ling's words in this clip are so very true!!
Miscarriage is definitely a shock to anyone. And it's a tragedy. It's too bad that we live in a culture that treats death as a taboo topic, to the point that we can't openly grieve for the lives who were lost before birth. It's a real pain that those of us who have gone through it will always carry with us. It doesn't matter how many living children we have or how long it has been since the loss, the pain will always be with us. We don't get over it, but we do learn to live with it. I wish we could also learn to live with it in such a way that we can share it with others and celebrate those lives that we enjoyed no matter for how short a time.
I don't know why, but when I had my first miscarriage it never occurred to me to keep it silent. As a matter of fact, we had not yet told anyone we were expecting so I could have avoided telling anyone anything at all if I had wanted. But I chose not to. And like I said, I really don't know why. So we told our families and then our friends and then co-workers and others. We held a memorial mass and we named the baby.
But what surprised me the most was how many people told me that they too had had a miscarriage! Some of these women I had known for several years. None of them had ever spoken about it before. That is, until they heard about mine, then they opened up to me. It got me thinking about how important having support during tragedy really is. And here were these friends of mine who I was never able to offer support to because I never knew of their suffering.
I also recognize that every individual is different and will handle situations differently than others. Miscarriage is a very sensitive topic and some women prefer to keep it between themselves and their husbands. That is fine. But I do think there is a benefit to having some sort of support, whether through an anonymous online forum, a close friend or group of friends who have also "been there," or through a spiritual advisor or something along those lines. The grief of losing a baby is very like the grief of losing any member of your family. It doesn't matter how long or short that life was.
So I feel for those who suffer in silence and don't seek out support. I hope that my openness through my three losses will help others to see that it's not so scary to talk about it. Or at least, if they know me, would come to me for a listening ear and the empathy that only someone who has suffered the same thing can understand. Although, I don't write about it as often as I thought I would, this topic has also become one of the reasons I continue to maintain this blog.
I was inspired to write this post after someone I know posted a link on Facebook regarding Lisa Ling talking about her recent miscarriage on the TV program "The View." I don't watch this show, not just because I work during the day (and don't own a DVR), but also because I don't normally agree with the points of view of the women on this show and I can't handle the bickering I often see in clips that are shown at other times. Regardless of my personal opinion, I was glad to see this topic come up. Here is a short article about Ling's appearance as well as just a 1 minute clip of the beginning of the discussion. I wish I knew how the rest of the conversation went and if the show's hosts asked appropriate and sensitive questions or not. But Ling's words in this clip are so very true!!
Miscarriage is definitely a shock to anyone. And it's a tragedy. It's too bad that we live in a culture that treats death as a taboo topic, to the point that we can't openly grieve for the lives who were lost before birth. It's a real pain that those of us who have gone through it will always carry with us. It doesn't matter how many living children we have or how long it has been since the loss, the pain will always be with us. We don't get over it, but we do learn to live with it. I wish we could also learn to live with it in such a way that we can share it with others and celebrate those lives that we enjoyed no matter for how short a time.
Saturday, December 04, 2010
7 Quick Takes Friday on Saturday, Vol. 11
Better late than never! And since I've also missed the last few weeks, I figured it was better to go ahead and do a Quick Takes post a day late than not at all. So here we go ...
~1~
Happy Advent!! We started Advent last Sunday while the rest of the world started celebrating Christmas about a month ago. This is one of my favorite aspects of the Church. We don't rush into anything! That's so true for so many things in the Church, isn't it? We're a very deliberate group of people. Before Christmas, we get four weeks of preparation. Four weeks to reflect on the hope of the second coming, the joy of the first coming, and so much more. THEN, and only then, do we get to Christmas. And Christmas isn't just one day!! I love it! But for now, I just want to wish everyone a good Advent. May it be a wonderful time for you and your families to properly prepare for the arrival of the newborn King!!
~2~
We got good news at work this week. Not just good ... surprising news!! For those who may not know, I work at a large research university. Normally we get four bonus days off between Christmas and New Years, plus a day for Christmas and a day for New Years Day. That's 6 total. This week the president announced three additional bonus days! How cool is that! So now I will be off from Tuesday Dec. 21 until Sunday January 2, returning to work on Monday January 3. I also have a floating holiday. I'm thinking I may use it on Monday Dec. 20, why only work one day that week? Two whole weeks off. And that means online two more weeks of work left!! I can't wait! (The benefit to the university: millions of dollars in savings in utility bills! I may have not had a raise in three years, but at least they aren't cutting our pay, imposing furloughs, or doing major lay offs. I'll take what I can get!)
~3~
We finally have to get new phones. Hubby and I have flip-style phones that we have had for over three years now. The screen on the outside of Hubby's phone went out a while ago and recently the inside screen on my phone started blinking when I was using it and now goes out on occasion (more and more so). I open my phone and get only a blue screen. Not good. I could still make a call if I had the number memorized, but who memorizes phone numbers anymore!! That's why I have a cell phone! So we're finally breaking down and getting new phones. I kind of wanted a smartphone so I could have Internet and email anywhere I wanted, but we decided not to make that leap yet. So we're getting a package that includes text messaging, which will be new for us. I'll still have my iPod Touch for email, Facebook, Internet, and other things (when I'm somewhere that has wireless capabilities). And, we'll be paying less!! We'll be switching companies and getting a good deal by buying online, plus getting a discount through my employer! Hubby is most happy about this.
~4~
How many remotes do you have for your TV? Don't include the remotes for other accessory items (DVD players, etc.). Just to operate your TV, what do you need? We need three remotes now! Three!! Yes, it's crazy, especially when you consider that two of those remotes are universal remotes. Apparently not all universal remotes are really universal. We have one to turn the TV on, one to turn on the volume (volume comes through a Bose player that's connected to the TV, not really an accessory since we wouldn't hear anything without it in this set-up), and then a third to change the channels. We used to have two: the one for the volume and the second for everything to do with the TV. Then we had to get a special box from our cable company for something (HD signals or whatever) and it came with a universal remote. For some reason we can't get that remote to turn the TV on and off. Thus we use three now. Geesh!
~5~
Winter has arrived in Kentucky. We started getting snow this week. Not a lot, but enough to make the roads slightly slick. None of it lasted long. That is until today. I would guess that we have about two inches of snow on the ground now and it's still coming down. Doesn't look like it'll be stopping anytime soon. So I'm changing my plans for today and staying inside. In my immediate future I see hot chocolate, watching the SEC championship game (Go Gamecocks!), doing some knitting, and maybe I'll take a shower at some point.
~6~
I got a haircut on Friday evening. No, I won't be posting pictures because I haven't done anything different. It's just shorter and looks pretty much like it did about 9 weeks ago when I last got it cut. But I'm so glad to have it shorter again!! It was feeling really long, a sure sign that's it's time. Feels so good!
~7~
I saw this posted on Facebook this week. It was so cute I thought I'd share it here. Those of you with beautiful, large families will especially appreciate this. Enjoy!!
Check out more Quick Takes at Jennifer Fulwiler's post at Conversion Diary where you'll find her Quick Takes vol. 107 and links to over 80 more!! Thanks Jen for hosting!! Happy Reading!
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